A different path
by Lady Merlin
Summary: Alanna goes to Shang, but to the palace too... a twist, see who she meets...
1. Chapter 1

Well, I don't know if this is original, but ah well… I hope that this is a new idea that can be more expanded upon. D Alanna goes to Shang…

A five year old red head ran into her brothers room. He was changing after a shower. Completely nude, he let out a small cry before ducking behind his bed. His twin sister rolled her eyes. "Oh Thom, nothing I haven't seen before, now get out here. Wait, on second thought, get dressed first."

"Alanna, come on, give a guy his privacy." He mumbled as he stalked out from behind his bed, and pulled on his underwear. Alanna just looked at him amusedly. Despite the fact that he was a good 3 minutes younger than his twin sister, he was taller. Apparently, he grew faster, or maybe it was just Alanna, that was, hem, vertically challenged, or for lack of better word, short. Both of them had fiery red hair, and amazing purple eyes. Everyone knew, that they held the traces of greatness…

"What happened?" he asked, pulling on his purple tunic.

"The Shang Leopard is here. Maybe, instead of being sent to a convent, I can go to Shang."

Her brother snorted. Despite their differences on views, he and his sister were closer than anything, and knew each and every inch of the others body and mind. "Shang? You know, I wish I'd been born the girl and you the boy. Then we'd both be happy."

Alanna gazed at her brothers eyes with an unnerving stare. Thom gulped. He hit too close to home for comfort. By then, he'd dressed. "Come on!" she cried, snapping out of her trance and dragging him by his hand to the courtyard, where the Shang company awaited.

Well? Idea there? I hope so. I'm going to ignore Maude's existence here… Sorry for those who mind. I'm not too sure on her character, so if anyone can type out a paragraph, I'll add it in.


	2. Chapter 2

Chappie 2 Up! I don't own anyone at all. Have Fun.

Alanna and Thom ran out of the door, and smack into a tall rock. Or so they thought. Recovering from the shock, Alanna looked up at a tall man with handsome sleek hair and a square jawbone. His eyes were deep blue and he was gazing into hers. "Hello." He said and offered a hand. Alanna was just staring into his eyes and then suddenly remembered her manners. She shot up from the ground like a bullet and tugged at Thom who was still in shock.

"Hi, I'm Alanna of Trebond, and I wanna join Shang." She said with a big smile on her face. "Come on Thom, stand up." She whispered, tugging at his sleeve.

He got up, looking slightly blur. "Good day sire, I'm Thom of Trebond, Alanna's twin brother, and I'm afraid that I'm a sorcerer in training." He said, quite clearly.

"Ah, good day Alanna and Thom. How are you?"

"Fine thank you." Replied Thom, bowing at the same time his sister said, "Fine, and you?"

Thom nudged his sister and she tripped. Gathering her balance, she glared daggers at him. Thom was still looking at the tall rock with a fake smile plastered to his face. "BOW!" he said through his teeth and Alanna's eyes widened. She fell into a clumsy courtesy. "AGH. Stupid dress" she cussed, and with that, she bundled it's skirts up and did a boy's bow. Thom's palm slammed into his face.

The tall rock was watching this exchange with amusement. "close are you?"

"Very. He's my best friend." Alanna said.

"And she mine." Thom continued.

"Very well, I am Lionel, Shang Leopard. You may call me Lionel." He finished off.

"So Lionel, can I join?" Alanna asked. Lionel chuckled when Thom hit Alanna, who cried out audibly and hit back.

"SIR Lionel Alanna, how many times do I have to tell you, RESPECT YOUR ELDERS!" and Alanna rolled her eyes at her brother who was nursing his bruised arm.

"well, you'll have to go through a series of tests first. Who's going first?" he asked.

"MEME! PICK ME!" Alanna cried, raising her hand as high as it could get. Lionel hid a smile behind one hand.

"Very well, Alanna first."

Well? Are Thom and Alanna realistic enough? I hope so. REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3

Chappie 3. Have fun.

So without another word, just a kiss for luck, Thom watched his sister follow Lionel into the privacy of the stables. He just knew she would get in. She was too talented not to. He sighed and rubbed his arm. Now his sister would have her dream come true, what about him? He didn't want to become a knight, he'd much rather be a sorcerer. He just wished he could run away to the city of gods.

An hour later, Alanna came out of the stables, beaming. The Shang following her, smiling. "She will do, she will do very well." He said to his company and her father.

"Can I go? Huh? Huh? Huh? PLEAAAAAAAAAAASE!" she begged him.

"Go child, go." He said, turning back to his papers. She sighed.

"Sir Lionel?" she asked later on at dinner.

"Yes child?" he responded.

"Can I ask you for a favour?"

"Depends," Lionel said.

"What would you say if I asked you to let my brother join us."

"But he is a sorcerer." Lionel said, looking her in the eye.

"Nono, not for Shang. I just want to take him to the City of the Gods. There, he can fulfill his dream, instead of becoming a knight." Alanna said.

Lionel continued staring at her. She responded with a stare just as fierce. "How much trouble is he?" he asked.

"Less than me… That's for sure." Alanna said. She was rewarded with a rich chuckle of appreciation from the company.

"Very well, he may come with us." Lionel said, retuning to his clam chowder, noticing out of the corner of his eyes, Alanna hopping around in silent joy, before running out of the door to find her brother. "She is truly a free spirit…" he said, with much agreement from his friends.

"THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" Alanna yelled at the top of her voice. In his room, Thom winced.

"Yes?" he asked. He wasn't really in the mood to talk to his sister who would be traveling the world while he'd be stuck at the palace.

"YOU CAN COME WITH US!" she yelled again, barely 5 feet away from him.

"Can you talk softer?" he asked.

"Sorry." She whispered. "You can come with us!" she repeated.

"Whaddya mean?" he asked, looking up from his book.

"Lionel' drop you to the City of the Gods. Then, he'll give us a few days to get you admission!" She cried. Thom's eyes widened, sparking in amazement and love. He leapt on his sister and they rolled about on the ground laughing, ignoring all the what if's of the plan…

Well? REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4

Chappie 4 up, have a good time with the characters I do not own.

Within the next two days, the company had set off, and was well on the way to the City of the Gods. Alanna and Thom, still as close as ever still stuck together for as long as possible. Out of all of then, Lionel knew how hard it was to be separated from a twin…

Soon, they could see the peaks and towers of the City of the Gods. Outside the gates, both the children ran in through the huge doors. Standing inside, they were awed. It was full of books, from the floor to the ceiling. People wearing weird dirty looking clothes were roaming around, rummaging through books, slamming into their fellows. Thom would fit right in.

Lionel walked in. A tall lady wearing a black robe walked up to him. "Good morrow, might I help thou?" Lionel rolled his eyes. These people were so blur that some of the didn't know which century they lived in, despite that fact that they knew the events of other centuries in detail…

"Yes, looking for an administrator." Lionel said.

"Speaking. Who is the student?" she asked looking around.

"He is." Alanna piped in, pointing at Thom.

"Ah, I see…" she walked around Thom, inspecting him. Then some pale blue fire sparkled from her fingers. Thom began to glow. "Wonderful!" she cried, delightfully. "He's very powerful you know…" she trailed off. "He'll fit in wonderfully, you may go, he is in safe hands. I shall set him under our very own Black Robe Mage!" she squealed. "He'll be so HAPPY!"

"Lionel, may I speak to the Black Mage while the horses are being saddled?"

"yes you may." He replied, before being pounced on by Thom.

"Thank you…" he whispered. "This is the biggest favour anyone except Alanna has ever done for me… When a Mage can help you, call upon me, and I'll help no matter what." Lionel chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"You're welcome. Farewell. Alanna, do hurry." And he walked out, his faded red cloak swishing around.

Alanna and Thom were led to a huge classroom in which a tall dark handsome man was working at a table.

"Numair!" the lady cried. "I've finally found a student worth your time!" Numair looked up. He saw the two rather scared looking children staring at him. He strode across the room in 2 huge steps. He looked down as the two children cricked their necks to look at him.

"Hi, I'm Alanna of Trebond and this is my twin brother Thom of Trebond. I'm going to Shang while my Shang master allowed him to tag along to come here. He has wanted to be a Mage for ever and ever and will you please take him in?" Alanna said in one breath.

Numair crouched down. "Hi, of course I will. I can see that your brother had great power. I see that you do too…" Alanna gasped as she realised the implications. "That's why it would be better for you to stay here." He said smiling, mistaking it for joy.

"NOOOOOO! I WANNA GO TO SHANG!" she cried. Thom rolled his eyes.

"Sir, you see, first she wanted to dress up as a boy and train as a knight, now she wants to go to Shang, it's like a gender switch from birth, only I'm not gay." Thom said.

"What's gay?" Alanna asked.

"See?"

Numair chuckled. "If you don't manage in Shang, come to the University. We could always do with students like you." He said. Alanna nodded, squished her brother in a tight hug, and bidding them both goodbye, she ran off.

"BYE ALANNA! I LOVE YOU!" Thom yelled, slightly sad. He knew he wouldn't be seeing his sister for a long time…

Well? Good? I hope so. REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5. I own no one. Have a good time.

Within a week or so, they had reached the Shang training grounds. It was pure magic. Gardens full of lush greenery and Chinese styled ponds with koi in them and so on. People were walking around in robes and stuff. On her first night, Alanna was brought to the Shang council.

In front of her was an intimidating table of judges, The Shang Bear, Koori, The Shang Horse, Huakim, The Shang Eagle, Dashini, The Shang Fish, Keira, The Shang Monkey, Ked, and most importantly, the Shang Dragon, Liam. All of them were the best fighters, known across the land for their agility, speed and prowess.

"Good morrow child." Said Liam.

"Good morrow sir." She said, wrinkling up her nose at the annoying titles.

"Would you fight with me?" he asked her.

"Yes sir." She replied and when he stood infront of her, she bowed. Liam made the first move, he attempted to punch her stomach. Alanna easily side-stepped. She knew that in this fight, she would most definitely need to rely on her escape techniques. He hit again, she ducked. Alanna crouched the third time and swiped at his legs. Liam jumped and the council chuckled appreciatively. Then, Liam stepped forward. Alanna couldn't duck, so she bent backwards and in her slight confusion, Liam managed to trip her over. She fell to the ground and grinned. Liam held out a hand, which she accepted.

"Very well." Keira said. "mental testing commences now."

She began shooting questions at Alanna, which she very skillfully (for her age) answered.

"Now one last question." Ked said.

Alanna looked at him. "Are you gifted."

Alanna's heart stopped. She could feel her face turning red. "yes." She whispered.

"Then Leave." Dashini said. Alanna knew there was nothing to it. She had to go. She turned around, her head hanging.

"Wait." Said an old croaky voice. "wait." An old lady hobbled out of the shadows. "She will stay and become Shang… She is valuable…" she said. Alanna observed with her purple orbs that she was draped in a shawl covered with ancient markings and such.

"She is gifted Ah Mei." Liam protested.

"Fool… look, I have seen the probable future… This child will fight… she could become the first lady knight… in fact, in an alternate universe, she already is…" Alanna's eyes widened.

"You mean me?" she interrupted. All eyes turned to her. "sorry, you mean me? As in, I could defend the realm?"

"Yes child… You would dress up in men's clothes and passed knight training, saved the realm many times over… You would have married, and had children…"

Alanna's face scrunched up in disgust. Liam chuckled. "You would have been known as the Lioness… A name to strike fear and awe into the hearts of thousands. You would have been a legend. Children would have chased their brothers down streets telling them to surrender to the provost. Child, she approaches…"

"who--" Alanna was about to ask, but was stopped by a figure in the sky.

"Hi." It said. If Alanna squinted, she could make out a woman with short red hair in purple armor and a flag with a lioness on it. "I'm Alanna, Lady Knight…"

"Hey, are you really me?" she blurted out.

"Yes." Alanna (original) said, laughing.

"I can't believe you got _married._" She said.

Alanna (original) burst into laughter. "I love George…"

"What do you think I should do?" Alanna asked, ignoring Alanna (original's) previous statement.

"Well, become a knight. But, get some Shang training first. Knight training starts when your 11. You can work on Shang till then."

"Ok, thanks, and how's Thom?" Alanna asked.

Alanna (original's) face turned down. "erm, I… don't know… He's probably safe, having a good time, driving the immortals crazy…"

"Immortals? You mean…" Alanna asked in horror.

"Yeah." Alanna choked a sob.

"Fine, I'll work on Shang until then… Goodbye Alanna, Thank you."

"No problem. Remember, you can succeed." Alanna (original) said, fading out.

"Well then." She said, turning to the awestruck council. "I'll have to start work now…"

Unseen, Dashini sneaked out of the council's holdings… She didn't like Alanna, no, not at all…

Well? Good? Bad? REVIEW!


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